At the halfway point of the Arizona Fall League season, now is a good time to check in on the eight Dodgers prospects playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs. 

As a team, the Dogs have been having a rough Fall, putting up a league-worst 5-10 record through the first 15 games of the 30-game season.

On an individual level, pitcher Gerardo Carrillo has made four appearances, starting three games. He has a record of 0-2 with his most recent outing being October 6. Over 14.1 innings of work, Carillo has allowed six runs on 12 hits. He has walked six, but struck out 15, which is fourth-best in the league. Carrillo has a 3.77 ERA after giving up three runs in each of his last two starts. Of the four Dodgers pitching prospects participating in the AFL, Carrillo is the only one who has taken on the starter roll. 

Despite not being a starter, reliever Marshall Kasowski has turned in five appearances for the Desert Dogs. He has pitched 4.1 innings and given up three runs on four hits, posting a 6.23 ERA. Kasowski has a 0-1 record with four walks and six strikeouts. He performs better on the home turf of the Dogs, Camelback Ranch in Glendale – the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

 Brett de Geus, like Carrillo, has also made four appearances thus far, all in relief. Over 5.1 innings, he has given up just two hits. He has struck out seven batters and earned one save. de Geus has held opponents to a .125 batting average through the first half of the AFL season.

Lastly, Mitchell White rounds out the pitching prospects for the Dodgers. White has made just two outings for the Desert Dogs, going 1.2 innings and giving up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out one. 

Moving to the infield, Omar Estevez has put up a .300 batting average over 10 games. He has 12 hits, with one double and has walked three times. Estevez has driven in five runs and scored two. His best game so far came against the Peoria Javelinas on September 27 when he went 3-4. 

Alongside Estevez has been Devin Mann, who has played in nine games thus far. Mann has only two hits but has walked seven times, giving him an on-base percentage of .273.

The last infielder is Justin Yurchak, who has only played in two games but is making very good use of his limited playing time. Yurchak has a .375 batting average, hitting the ball for extra bases two of the three times he has made contact. Yurchak has one walk, one strikeout, one RBI, and has scored two runs. 

The eighth and final player, Jeren Kendall, is the Dodgers only outfield prospect to play in the Arizona Fall League. The Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2017 out of Vanderbilt University has played in 11 games and is currently hitting .225, with a double and a home run. He has stolen two bases and walked once. Kendall has driven in five and scored three runs, but also has been caught stealing twice and struck out 19 times.

Despite there being an All-Star Game and the fight for a championship to end the season, the primary focus of the Arizona Fall League is to keep the players in top condition and allow for those who need to make up for time lost during the regular minor league season due to injury. The Dodgers prospects with the Glendale Desert Dogs are doing just that and before we all know it, spring training will be upon us and Camelback Ranch will once again be buzzing with non-stop action.

Minor Leagues – Major Fun!

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